The Czech Republic flourished with the advent of King Charles IV. Of course, the Golden Bull is his very important act, but it is not the only one.
He was a superbly educated man. He loved poetry, was close friends with Petrarch, and was fluent in five European languages. That is why Charles the Fourth helped establish the archbishopric chair in Prague and open the first university in this part of Europe.
Mark on history
The Czech Republic is full of historical sites associated with the activities of Charles IV, the king of the Czech Republic, who became emperor of the Holy Empire of Rome. This is the famous resort of Karlovy Vary, and the castle in Hradcany, and the Charles Bridge over the Vltava, and the castle of Karlstejn.
Military campaigns were hardly needed, and the emperor was destined to become famous not by them, since enlightenment and construction attracted him much more. The name of this patron of sciences and arts, the adoption of the Golden Bull in truly golden letters inscribed in the history of the world.
Start
Karl was born into a royal family in Prague. His father - John the Blind - left the Luxembourg Royal House, and his mother - Elishka - the daughter of the Czech King Wenceslas II. He grew up in an atmosphere of love, mobile, smart, curious.
Karl was lucky to study in France at the court of Philip VI with the future Pope Clement VI - a very educated man, a great adherent of history, science and art. At the age of fifteen, Karl had already begun to rule the state: first, his father entrusted him with Luxembourg, then Moravia, and after his death left his son the whole Czech Republic.
Even before the coronation, Karl discussed and approved the creation of a new crown, known as St. Wenceslas. Also, a new ceremony was established - it began in Vysehrad, then the procession solemnly moved along the Old Town Square to Prague Castle through the Vltava. The festival was attended by all the people who deservedly loved the new king, subsequently calling him the father of the motherland. Not only the Czech Republic, but the whole of Europe felt the goodness of the reign of Charles IV.
Creation
During the reign of Karl was able to pay off all military conflicts literally in the bud, and therefore the king did not prevent the war to thoroughly take power into his own hands. Peacetime is favorable for the development of cities, the founding of a university, the construction of houses and roads, and the raising of agricultural production to a high level (French grapes and Lorraine plum in the Czech Republic are entirely the merit of Karl).
In addition, he made the Vltava navigable, equipped ponds for breeding fish. Everything that Karl created is hard to even list. Along with this, he read a lot, wrote an autobiography for historians.
The emperor
Among the European monarchs, Karl enjoyed high authority as a business and honest ruler, not warlike. But could he be made emperor? The Holy Roman Empire was not opposed. Moreover, this idea itself probably came to the head of his teacher - Pope Clement, who was already seated on a throne in Avignon. It is a sin not to support such a disciple.
Acting in a purely peaceful way, Karl steadily expanded his possessions. Acquiring estates in Silesia, Thuringia, Saxony, he strengthened the supreme power, annexing neighboring lands. Thus, Luzation and the Brandenburg Margrave came to him. Everything was involved in the matter, except for quarrels: purchases, contracts, marriage unions.
The country experienced an economic boom of unprecedented power. Winemaking, forestry and fisheries, trade, crafts rose and flourished. The royal power was strengthened, and this happened steadily. However, Karl did not want to let things go by chance.
Golden bull
The main task of the Czech king was to strengthen power by creating new legislation. The Golden Bull of 1356 became the document that, until the New Time, acted on the territory of the country.
In particular, the succession order was described: the throne always goes to the eldest son of the king, ladies can inherit power only in the absence of representatives of the male gender. If the clan ceases for any reason, the elect of the Sejm receives the crown. Very sensible and pragmatic invented. The right to vote for the Sejm was also confirmed and described in detail by the Golden Bull of 1356.
Before adoption, the new constitution was discussed and ruled for a long time and carefully in the Reichstag of Nuremberg and Metz. The final document was decorated with a gold seal and a gold case. Hence the name - Golden Bull. Over the years, it has become clear that the content of this document is precious. It served until the very end of the glorious German Empire (until 1918!) The basic law of the organization and system of this central European country. This once again proves how brilliant the Golden Bull is.
Benefits of the new law
Papal participation in the choice of the ruler of the country was completely eliminated. Previously, no ruler had taken such a decisive step to separate church power and secularism. This was done by the Golden Bull. The general characteristic of its laws shows that a lot of innovations have been introduced into the life of subjects. This affected all lands and all segments of the population of the medieval empire.
The adoption of the Golden Bull confirmed the already established custom of electing the emperor. Initially, seven elector princes took part in the elections (three church and four secular).
The Golden Bull of Charles 4 claimed the inviolability of the princes' rights to the highest court. The princes could single-handedly develop the mountain subsurface, mint a coin, take customs duties and even legally fight with their neighbors. And only vassals did not have the right to speak out against their lord. For all this, cities were strictly forbidden to enter into alliances with each other. Thus, the state prevented conspiracies.
The electors were also limited the right to territorial division of the electors, and the Golden Bull legally confirmed this. The general characteristic of the document under consideration shows that Charles IV was most concerned about native Bohemia, that is, the Czech Kingdom: the greatest privileges concerned these lands and their owners.
Place of appearance of the Golden Bull
Since Rome was only nominally the capital of the Holy Roman Empire , and the emperor was more fond of living in his small homeland - in Prague, Karl chose the city of Nuremberg, where he held his main imperial diet - a meeting of the highest nobility of all Central Europe.
It was there that the Golden Bull was approved in 1356. In Germany, it did not lose its strength even after the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806. Nuremberg became the central city in the Roman Empire: Charles IV visited it fifty-two times, and always it was a national holiday. The entry ceremony was more interesting and colorful than the scenery of any performance, and the very stay of the emperor and his court in the city fabulously transformed the life of ordinary people.
What is the only attraction associated with such an event as the just-received Golden Bull. This is the Männleinlaufen - "Running Men" - a delightful watch on the Frauenkirche, opening every day at noon. A herald, musicians, the emperor and seven famous electors appear from the door, who three times go around the emperor with bows. The ruler shakes his wand, two figures of watchmakers beat off at noon, and the whole procession for a day is hidden inside the clock. There are a lot of similar sights since the time of Charles IV in Nuremberg.
Feudal fragmentation by law
The borders of the Holy Roman Empire in the XIV-XV centuries did not have borders fixed once and for all, since they were changed either by wars, then dynastic marriages, and even vassal ties themselves were variable. But it was these centuries that became the best time for the heyday of German cities, for the growth and prosperity of all crafts and trade.
Cities produced products exclusively for their own, local markets. However, such centers gradually appeared, whose products were sold not only throughout the country, but also abroad. Under Charles IV, artisans formed more than fifty branches of production, including manufacturing and printing. Viticulture and livestock were gaining weight in ubiquitously flourishing agriculture.
Concessions
The political development of the empire in the Middle Ages was restrained by the specific princes, who were distrustful of the strengthening of imperial power, and the goal of their lusts was by no means a unification, but centralization within small territories.
Carl, introducing the first legislative acts for discussion , of course, this is the wish of the subjects taken into account. He held the empire in his hands firmly, but carefully, in alliance with the popes and the highest aristocracy. And he cared, first of all, about the economic and cultural prosperity of the territories entrusted to him. First - the Czech Republic, and then the rest. Therefore, the Golden Bull was created very convenient for the German electors. A general characteristic of this period: political and territorial fragmentation was consolidated in rights.
Dissatisfied with the political state of the empire, of course, were. Unfortunate German multi-power, for example, called the Golden Bull F.K. Schlosser. But in conservative circles with constant reverence they explained what the Golden Bull is. The definition was crisp and clear: this is the basic law of the empire that allowed it to flourish. Some even said that this is the first constitution of Germany.